Surreal: having all eyes watching, as you enter a room and feel the hush descend even over loud music. I tried not to catch anyone's gaze, but scanned the room for a familiar face. That's a lie; I scanned for Edgar.
"You look stunning Minta Hardwick."
"George! You gave me a shock."
He twirled me around and kissed my cheek. "And you're giving half the blokes in this building heart failure, including my father's youngest business partner. Even my two best mates asked me who was that hot lady walking in? I had to fight the urge to punch them. That's my adopted little sister, I said."
"You didn't." I laughed as he waved Josie over.
"No, I didn't, but I told them to keep their hands off. Said you were taken."
I shot a worried look at George.
"Not by me, hun'." He squeezed my arm, smugly. "I'm taken too, thank you."
I squealed and jumped up and down. "That deserves an other hug. I'm so happy."
"So am I. When Josie thanked me for my interfering in the presentation, I confessed I'd feelings for her. She said, she knew; you'd pointed it out a dozen times."
Josie appeared from behind George and slipped her hand around his waist. "I won, Minta!"
I let her pull us into a triple person cuddle. "No doubt about it. You were fab, Jo."
She shrugged as George squeezed her. "Thanks. But... well... I'm not going to ask questions if you don't want me to-,"
I shook my head and held her hands. "Good. Don't ask."
She nodded. "Anything for you and my driver, of course. He was around here somewhere."
But I sensed his nearness before Josie spotted him in the crowd. It was so clear to me now, when he was physically in the same room, or when he was overseeing from somewhere else. A couple of year twelve girls were trying to get his attention, but he only had eyes for me. Lush. It was probably the nearest I'd get to feeling like a goddess, and it beat annihilating trolleys hands down. I couldn't seem to breathe in, as this perfect guy walked towards me. Funny, I usually moaned about stupid slow music, and yet right now, I'd 'Abreotan', any other song. I felt truly magical, stupidly secure and amazingly sensual.
"Araminta."
"Ed."
The chemistry fizzed. We stood a hairsbreadth away from each other, eyes dancing, lips almost smiling as if we'd shared a joke no one else had heard.
"Dance with me?"
Hell yes. I grinned and took his hand, emphatically accepting the glorious stream of electricity as our fingers touched. How had I ever mistaken this for a warning shock?
Instead of the dance floor, Edgar led me out onto the terrace, past the hordes of inquisitive eyes and gossiping tongues. I refused to feel bad for further gloating. Whatever happened, for now, he was mine.
Our spiral charms jingled together as we danced. Conscious and embarrassed by my hopes and desires, I lay my head on Edgar's shoulder. It was delicious. It was home.
And we danced for a while, wordlessly, music drifting over our heads.
But this was me. I couldn't just be content with a perfect moment. I sighed at my own ungratefulness. I lifted my head and moved back slightly, waiting for Edgar's face to turn.
Expression resigned, he knew what was coming. Edgar slipped his arms around my waist.
I tried not to think about the warm pressure.
"So, where do we go from here Ed? I take it you've had loads of experience of this, given your prehistoric taste for mead and oat cakes."
The tension was wound so tight, but I could see laughter replace the torment in his eyes. "No. This is new to me too, and less of the prehistoric."
"Sorry." I wrinkled my nose. "You said we had to think. I have."
He hands tightened around me. "So have I. You go first."
"I want you." Simple as that.
Edgar, breathed in and exhaled slowly, then shook his head and smiled. "And I, you." His eyes glistened in the lights as we moved freely in and out of their beams. "I'll be yours as long as you want. If you ever desire me to leave, I'll work hard at keeping you alive from far away."
"Edgar, I won't ever-,"
"It's lot to ask you, to make a decision based on raw feeling when you have nothing much to compare it with. You're so young. Half of me thinks I'm selfish for not backing away. The rest of me knows I haven't the power to escape what Gladys believes is our destiny." He stopped moving and I came to a halt. "But, I can wait, you could get on with your life, meet new people," he hesitated, "have relationships."
I wanted to cry, a little scared of losing him to some sort of stupid, chivalric honour. "I don't want that. I want you now and I'll always want you."
"Always is a long time." Edgar began to move again and rested his chin on my ear. "Let's start with now, and go from here."
This time, I stopped swaying, and held him at arm lengths, shaking my head. "Edgar. You have to trust me. This is it. I think it's why it took me so long to like you. It was a fear of what you were to me. I don't feel that fear now. You're my future," I laughed, "well, you and magic."
He nodded, and there was some relief in his eyes.
"Without being able to compare won't you ever wonder if it's only magic that binds us together?"
"No." I exhaled the words with certainty. "This is human and real, Ed."
"I can't be with you constantly as a mortal would."
My eyes stung with tears. "I don't care."
Our eyes locked in battle, his searching for doubt, mine for faith. "You haven't told me how you feel, Edgar."
He laughed bitterly, chin raised to the cloudy night sky. "Araminta, it didn't matter to me that we weren't anything except overseer and charge, because I had something whilst I could help you." A dark expression crossed his face, and I felt the natural voltage running between us, which we could block for a while, but not reject forever.
His fingers brushed away the hair from my ears sending the blood pumping faster through my veins. "You asked me who was my first love. Have you worked out the answer yet?"
I gasped. "I think I just have."
He smiled his half smile. "And I didn't even have to tell you." Edgar's cheek brushed mine as his head bent lower to whisper in my ear. "Remember to breathe Araminta."
Unaware I'd stopped, I exhaled again, slowly this time, as the music changed pace. Giddy, I hardly heard it. I belonged to him. He belonged to me.
Edgar took my hands from his chest and placed them around his neck. His own arms encircled my back, this time drawing me slowly towards him.
The heat from his hands burned through my skin. Every movement was both hesitant and determined. Edgar's head tilted, a little. "I love you, Araminta," he whispered, huskily.
And I shivered. My head dipped towards his face. I could feel his breath and the warmth from his skin and time stood still as I waited and wanted.
Then with a smile, Edgar suddenly, tightened his grasp and pushed his lips on mine.
Blissfully unprepared, I pulled away gasping, truly understanding the dark look in his eyes. I hadn't ever known passion before. My fingers found their way into his hair and moved his un-reluctant face back down. Our mouths crushed together again, and the lights flickered in the room as Edgar's fingers touched the bare flesh on my shoulders.
"I love you Ed." It was a sweet victory, and I grinned. So did Edgar. I never knew it was possible to kiss and laugh. "I love you Edgar."
And the more we kissed the more I wanted.
*
The walk to Jasmine Cottage was long enough for me to gain more delectable information about the person I'd pledged myself to, for infinity. If it was snowing, I didn't notice.
"How many girlfriends have you had exactly?"
"Araminta, do you need to know that?" There was a hint of desperation in his voice, I got the idea I might not like the answer.
"Yes."
"Isn't it enough to know that you are the love of my life, the first and the only?"
"Yes..., but have you ever kissed before?"
He laughed. "Yes, haven't you?"
I shook my head. "Not like that."
"Well then." And he tucked his finger under my spiral charm and pulled it closer to kiss me again.
I succumbed with minimal resistance. "I love you Edgar."
"I love you Minta."
"That doesn't sound right. You always call me Araminta."
His eyes narrowed. "I got the feeling it annoyed you."
"And yet you still say it." I bit my lip. "It might irritate me, but it feels right."
Edgar laughed again. "Alright, I love you Araminta and I have done since the beginning of time and will do so until the end." He kissed me again as we finally arrived at Jasmine Cottage.
A snowflake hit me between the nose as I pulled away. "I don't understand what you mean by the beginning of time..."
Edgar looked at the cottage with a far away expression. Then turned to me. "I'm sorry."
"Why?" Panic, I felt fear grow.
"I've been too distracted with you to realise; to warn you. She hid it well, a spell..." His face was pained, and sent shivers down my spine. "My love..."
I knew.
I didn't knock. I removed the hidden key from the crevice, shaking as it creaked in the lock.
I can't remember how I got upstairs or how I pushed open her bedroom door.
I felt nothing for a moment. No rush of emotion. No desire to cry. Gladys Jones lay in her bed as if merely asleep, her face was older than I'd known it to be, but softer than I'd ever seen it.
Edgar put a hand on my back and kissed my hair. "Eternal rest."
A lump wedged itself in the centre of my throat. "Why Ed?"
"She'd had enough. It's wearisome in the wings, living a hundred lives and starting again when everyone else around you passes on. And now you're here."
I shook my head. "But Gam's gone, their friend's gone and now Gladys. How can I replace three experienced Cumendre?"
"Perhaps you don't have to. Gladys told you to carry on regardless." His hand moved around my shoulders. Come on. Gladys will have planed someone to find her in the morning. We better go."
I nodded, but couldn't help pushing open the other doors and seeing how Gladys had left each room. I smiled. Even the bathroom was newly decorated and fresh. "I would've picked out exactly the same, Gladys, thank you." I said descending the stairs.
A sudden and frantic knock on the front door stopped my thoughts in their tracks.
"Ed?"
He flashed out and back. "It's Iona and Darcy, but I sense a other mortals coming this way.... in a hurry."
"Minta, it's Iona, please help us. We're being chased."
To trust or not to trust...? "Edgar, see who's following please?"
He disappeared again. I rested my head on the door. "Know her intent, friend or foe; do I let her stay or let her go. Ætberan."
A vision flashed across my mind. Iona's hand cupped my face; a plea fills her eyes as she leans forward to kiss me. I'd been right.
"I'll be killed one way or another," Iona moaned, "listen- ah-."
I only heard her pain and didn't stop. "Ætberan." The door flew back with a crash. The two girls tumbled inside looking both scared and relieved.
Ed appeared behind them. "No, send them away." He pulled at Darcy's wrist but screamed in agony before he bolted back with burnt fingers. "No!" he panted.
Confused, I shifted my gaze to Iona.
She shook her head. "Minta. You shouldn't have-," And then her face froze in horror, colour drained.
"Iona? What-,"
She mouthed one word, 'sorry' and collapsed onto the floor. Then I saw the knife sticking out of her back.
*************
The lyrics appeal to me on this one. This is Ed and Minta. :)